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At least 23 people, including three children, were killed on Tuesday in three separate attacks blamed on jihadists and criminal gangs in Borno and Zamfara states, according to two security reports prepared for the United Nations and seen by AFP.
Suspected Boko Haram jihadists killed 11 people in a raid on the Pubago community in the Rumirgo district of Borno State, one of the reports said. Some residents were still missing; the report warned the toll could be higher.
In Zamfara State, 12 others were killed in attacks on two villages in Bukkuyum district, a second report said.
Bandits raided Rumbuki village, killing nine people and injuring eight others. They also attacked Nikai village, killing at least three children. Several people remain missing from both villages.
Jihadists have been waging a 17-year armed insurgency in the northeast. Bandits have terrorised communities in the northwest and central Nigeria for more than a decade.
Bandits are motivated by financial gain with no ideological leaning. Their increasing alliance with jihadists has been a source of concern for authorities and analysts.
Attacks on bases and communities in the northeast by Boko Haram and rival ISWAP jihadist groups have recently escalated, killing civilians and military personnel, including senior military commanders.
Bandits continue to raid villages, murder residents, kidnap people for ransom, and loot homes before setting them on fire.
